The Goodness of God. Nahum i. 7.
VE humble souls, approach your God with songs of sacred praise,
For he is good, supremely good, and kind are all his ways. 2 All nature owns his guardian care, in him we live and move; But nobler benefits declare the wonders of his love.
3 He gave his Son, his only Son,
to ransom rebel worms;
'Tis here he makes his goodness known
in its diviner forms.
4 To this dear refuge, Lord, we come,
'tis here our hope relies;
A safe defence, a peaceful home,
when storms of trouble rise.
5 Thine eye beholds, with kind regard,
the souls who trust in thee;
Their humble hope thou wilt reward,
with bliss divinely free.
6 Great God, to thy Almighty love,
what honours shall we raise!
Not all th' angelic songs above
can render equal praise.
AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun
daily course of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and early rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 Redeem thy mispent time that's past;
Live this day, as if 'twere thy last :
T' improve thy talents take due care;
'Gainst the great day thyself prepare.
3 Let all thy converse be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noon-day clear.
Think how th' all-seeing God, thy way
And all thy secret thoughts, surveys.
4 Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part;
Who all night long unwearied sing
Glory to thee, eternal King.
5 I wake, I wake, ye heavenly choir;
May your devotion me inspire;
That I like you my age may spend,
Like you may on my God attend.
6 May I like you in God delight,
Have all day long my God in sight;
Perform like you my Maker's will:
O! may I never more do ill.
7 Glory to thee, who safe hast kept,
And hast refresh'd me while I slept:
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless life partake.
8 Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
Scatter my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first spring of thought and will,
And with thyself my spirit fill.
9 Direct, control, suggest this day,
All I design, or do, or say;
That all my powers, with all their might,
In thy sole glory may unite.
10 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye angelic host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
HYMN XLV.
Evening Hymn.
to thee, my God, this night,
☑ For all the blessings of the light:
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Under thy own Almighty wings.
2 Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
The ills that I this day have done;
That with the world, myself, and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
3 Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Triumphing rise at the last day.
4 O may my soul on thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
Sleep, that may me more vig'rous make,
To serve my God, when I awake.
5 When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply:
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.
6 Let my blest guardian, while I sleep,
Close to my bed his vigils keep;
Divine love into me instil,
Stop all the avenues of ill.
7 Thought to thought with my soul converse,
Celestial joys to me rehearse;
And in my stead, all the night long,
Sing to my God a grateful song.
8 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye angelic host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Paraphrase of the 100th Psalm.
EFORE Jehovah's awful throne,
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create, and he destroy.
2 His sov'reign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and form'd us men;
And when like wand'ring sheep we stray'd,
He brought us to his fold again.
3 We are his people, we his care,
Our souls, and all our mortal frame;
What lasting honours shall we rear,
Almighty Maker, to thy name?
4 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heaven our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.
5 Wide as the world is thy command,
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth must stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.
HYMN XLVII.
Praise to the Redeemer.
our Redeemer's glorious name
awake the sacred song!
O may his love (immortal flame!)
tune every heart and tongue.
2 His love, what mortal thought can reach?
what mortal tongue display?
Imagination's utmost stretch
in wonder dies away.
3 He left his radiant throne on high,
*left the bright realms of bliss,
And came to earth to bleed and die!
was ever love like this?
4 Dear Lord, while we adoring pay
our humble thanks to thee;
HYMN XLVIII.
Communion with Christ.
NO Jesus, our exalted Lord,
That name, in heaven and earth ador'd,
Fain would our hearts and voices raise
A cheerful song of sacred praise.
2 But all the notes which mortals know,
Are weak, and languishing, and low;
Far, far above our humble songs,
The theme demands immortal tongues.
3 Yet whilst around his board we meet,
And worship at his sacred feet;
O let our warm affections move,
In glad returns of grateful love.
4 Yes, Lord, we love, and we adore,
But long to know and love thee more;
And whilst we taste the bread and wine,
Desire to feed on joys divine.
5 Let faith our feeble senses aid,
To see thy wondrous love display'd;
Thy broken flesh, thy bleeding veins,
Thy dreadful agonizing pains.
6 Let humble penitential woe,
With painful, pleasing anguish flow;
And thy forgiving love impart,
Life, hope and joy to every heart.
Preparations for religious Worship.
AR from my thoughts, vain world, be gone,
Let my religious hours alone;
From flesh and sense I would be free,
And hold communion, Lord, with thee.
2 My heart grows warm with holy fire,
And kindles with a pure desire,
To see thy grace, to taste thy love,
And feel thine influence from above.
3 When I can say that God is mine,
When I can see thy glories shine,
I tread the world beneath my feet,
And all that men call rich and great.
4 Send comfort down from thy right hand,
To cheer me in this barren land;
And in thy temple let me know
The joys that from thy presence flow.
Thine Eyes shall see the King in his Beauty. Isaiah
HOULD nature's charms, to please the eye,
in sweet assemblage join,
All nature's charms would droop and die,
Jesus, compar'd with thine.
2 Vain were her fairest beams display'd,
and vain her blooming store;
Her brightness languishes to shade,
her beauty is no more.
3 But ah, how far from mortal sight
the Lord of glory dwells!
A veil of interposing night
his radiant face conceals.
4 O could my longing spirit rise
on strong immortal wing,
And reach thy palace in the skies,
my Saviour and my King!
5 There thousands worship at thy feet,
and there (divine employ !)
The triumphs of thy love repeat,
in songs of endless joy.
6 Thy presence beams eternal day
o'er all the blissful place;
Who would not drop this load of clay,
and die, to see thy face?
The Excellency and Sufficiency of the Scriptures.
ATHER of mercies! in thy word
what endless glory shines!
For ever be thy name ador'd
for these celestial lines.
2 Here may the wretched sons of want
exhaustless riches find;
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